WOFL

WOFL-Fox 35 is owned by Fox Television Stations. It originally went on the air on March 31, 1974, as WSBW -- Orlando's first independent station. The 1970s recession hit WSWB hard. Station owner Sun World Broadcasting ran into money troubles and was forced to file for bankruptcy in January 1976 -- which eventually forced Channel 35 off the air. Among those who tried to buy the station were Ted Turner and Christian broadcast Pat Robertson. After a great deal of legal squabbling over WSWB's assets, the Omega Group ended up with ownership. It changed the call letters to WOFL (for Orlando, FL) and returned Channel 35 to the air in 1979. Meredith Corp. then purchased WOFL in 1982 and owned it until 2002, when it swapped stations with Fox Broadcasting -- gaining the Fox-owned station in Portland, Ore, in exchange for Channel 35. Fox also owns WRBW-Channel 65 in Orlando.